Good morning everyone,
Last week we talked about how sales people tend to get introductions out of the way and then jump straight into selling their product or service. These same sales prople have not proven themselves reliable, or trustworthy to the customer, but yet these sales people believe they can sell the customer what they need.
The first buying decision is the longest and hardest to complete. Mainly because there is so much decision making that happens in this buying decision before anything can move forward for the customer. The customer has to know, like, and trust us before they will ever buy from us. Do you think that right after someone gets your name and starts selling you something that they have these qualities? Do you think they really care about your needs?
We as sales professionals need to make sure we are answering these three questions for the customer as soon as possible:
Do I like you?
Do I trust you?
How can you help me?
If we jump straight into selling mode after we get their name the customer will be turned off. Ever wonder why when asked what brings you in to this store today the customer says something like this, “Just looking.” It’s because the customer has been trained to think that sales people are all the same and all the sales person cares about is selling their product or service.
Let’s change that perception.
Let’s start by using a plan on how we will approach the customer in a way that builds likeability and trust right out of the get go. Let’s start with making sure when we approach the customer we are not circling like hungry vultures. Let’s let the customer come into our facilities and let them get comfortable by smiling and saying “Hi, welcome. We are here to help you when you are ready.” Smiling, wearing the right colors that psychologically reflect trust, honesty and lowers anxiety. Not power ties, not blacks, not dark greys, but light blues whites, and some greens to ease the customer into lowering their defenses.
Science has shown that depending on the environment (noise levels, smells, colors, lighting, etc) the customer can actually become more engaged, or withdrawn. Next time you walk into a department store check out the different areas of the store and notice the lighting, colors, music playing, and scents pumped into each area. This helps to ease the customer’s anxiety about being attacked by sales people and allows them to answer “Do I like you” in a relaxed state.
What will you be wearing the next time you show up to work? Will you be paying attention to the customer and welcoming them, or will you be going in for the kill to make a sale? Make sure to be attentive to the customer and allow them to like you.
Answering Do I trust you and How can you help me is also needed in the first buying decision. We need to build that trust as well as show the customer that we will work to help them meet their needs. There is a great deal in these two questions so we will have to save that for next week as to how we will do this, but for today think about asking questions to the customer. Next week we will help you structure those questions.
Click on the picture below for my Udemy training on the five buying decisions so you can get a jump on the rest of the people reading my blog posts!
Sincerely,
Kevin Sidebottom
“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business. I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!